Virtual assistants, such as Siri provided by Apple, Inc.® and Google Now provided by Google, Inc.®, are software applications that understand natural language and complete electronic tasks in response to user inputs. For example, virtual assistants take dictation, read a text message or an e-mail message, look up phone numbers, anticipate requests, place calls, and generate reminders.
Virtual assistants are most useful when the software application has access to contextual information associated with a user-initiated query. However, a virtual assistant may not have access to all sources of contextual information. For example, when a virtual assistant does not have access to the user's current location, the virtual assistant may respond to a request for local restaurant recommendations with a restaurant located geographically remote from the user. Similarly, when a virtual assistant does not have access to past restaurants visited by the user, the virtual assistant may respond to a request for local restaurant recommendations with a restaurant that the user recently visited or a restaurant serving a cuisine different from the user's usual cuisine. In addition, in some situations, a virtual assistant may provide a response to a user-initiated query that duplicates information the user previously received from another source. In these situations, the information provided by the virtual assistant may not be useful, and the user may need to initiate subsequent queries to obtain useful information. In a public safety setting, it is beneficial for virtual assistants to provide useful information in response to user queries to prevent subsequent requests for information, which may delay the user from providing time-critical public safety services (e.g., responding to a distress call, responding to an emergency at a correct location, and the like).
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for improving the utility of a response to a user-initiated query.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.